A process is already known from German Patent No. 3,018,275 A1 for optimizing data and/or program parts for programmed controllers. In that process, the control program of a controller is initially copied to a data/program memory unit external to the controller. This memory unit is connected via a serial data transmission line to a control unit that is also external to the controller. The memory unit has a read-write memory that can be accessed by the control unit as well as the controller. Preprogrammed changes are entered into the memory unit via the control unit. The controller runs the program in the memory unit. The program/data changes in the memory unit act directly on the control process carried out by the controller. The effects can be observed directly. The data/programs of the controller are optimized in this way.
German Patent No. 3,917,979 A1 discloses another method of optimizing data and/or program parts for programmed controllers, where the programmed read-only memory of the controller is removed from the controller and a data manipulation device is inserted into the controller instead. The read-only memory removed from the controller is also inserted into the data manipulation device. In addition, the data manipulation device also contains a read-write memory.
The contents of the read-only memory are transferred to the read-write memory at the beginning of an optimization procedure. The controller is connected to an external input device via a serial interface. This input device is used to enter data and make program changes in the read-write memory of the data manipulation device. The data manipulation device also contains a switching device that makes it possible to switch between the read-write memory and the read-only memory. The microprocessor of the controller works either with the read-write memory or with the read-only memory, depending on the switch.